February 20, 2002
MAYO DAWSON TRANSMISSION PROJECT
THE WHITEHORSE STAR
FIRST OF 1,750 POLES PLANTED
By Dan Davidson
Star Correspondent

DAWSON CITY - With the sun shining brightly and the temperature hovering around -5, the crew from RS Line couldn't have asked for a nicer time late last week to drop very tall power poles into the ground.

These were the first of approximately 1,750 poles that will be carrying hydro power from Mayo to Dawson next Sept. 30.

RS Line, an Edmonton-based company, is headed by Earle Forbes, who spent his day cruising up and down the 35-40 kilometres of the Klondike Highway.

He watched as crews delivered poles, prepared them with attachments on the ground, drilled the initial holes, and moved on to the next site.

Another crew followed to make the actual placement, perhaps drilling the holes a little deeper where the ground is less than perfect.

Forbes said the difference was in the permafrost, which seems to appear at varying levels along the route, and sometimes requires a deeper hole.

Hank Heerspink, of Chant Construction, said the contractors were starting the pole planting process where they were, just a few kilometers from the Dempster Corner, because the terrain there tends to become a bit swampy once it thaws. It's better to work it while it's frozen, the rationale goes.